This invention relates to a new chocolate-based fat system which has improved organoleptic properties. Specifically, the present invention relates to an edible anhydrous chocolate-based fat system having a granulated sugar component which provides the improved organoleptic properties, and which also results in a distinctly different mouth sense. In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the edible anhydrous chocolate-based fat system is flavor infused with an additional sweet flavor, which is brought into the chocolate-based fat system by way of flavor-saturated granulated sugar.
Chocolate has been known in many forms for many years. Traditional forms of chocolate include dark, light, white, and milk chocolates which may be used as a snack item or confection, or for coating other food items. More recently, chocolate has been utilized not only as a flavor but in chip or chunk form as an additive in baked goods and flour confections such as cookies and the like. Finally, chocolate endures almost universal appeal simply for its flavor, its mouth feelxe2x80x94generally, confection chocolates are based on fat systems which melt easily in the mouth, whereas chocolate chips and the like are based on harder fat systems so as to retain their integrity during the baking processxe2x80x94and because of its relatively easy portability. Chocolate may be packaged or wrapped in relatively small portions, for consumption as a snack, for example.
However, until now all chocolate products where chocolate is a principal constituent, and where the chocolate is presented as a stable fat system at room temperature, have been smooth and with a distinct chocolate flavor. That flavor may range from quite sweet to bitter, depending on the sugar content, and whether or not the chocolate is a milk chocolate, light or dark brown chocolate, or white chocolate. Some chocolates may be flavored, typically by the use of mint; but all chocolates are highly conchedxe2x80x94that is, they have a high degree of fineness.
Of course, the degree of fineness may be controlled by varying the mechanical pressure on the conching rollers, but chocolate is nonetheless a fine and smooth consistency fat system, in all of its embodiments. Usually, therefore, in order to impart an additional flavor to chocolate, so as to create a different taste sensation, the chocolate is used to coat another item having that other flavor, and the flavor combination is determined organoleptically in the mouth, as the product is eaten and the flavors of the chocolate and the other item mix together. However, if the additional flavor comes from an item such as a peanutxe2x80x94chocolate coated peanuts, for examplexe2x80x94the flavor release and mixture may be quite slow; on the other hand, if the additional flavor is a creme filling such as a fruit or sweet syrup flavor, or a liqueur flavor, that flavor is organoleptically released very quickly, and mayxe2x80x94and generally doesxe2x80x94overwhelm the flavor of the chocolate.
The present inventors have discovered, quite unexpectedly, that a very different mouth sense can be obtained, which mouth sense is quite pleasant, by incorporating coarse sugar into a chocolate formulation which otherwise is constituted as highly refined chocolate, after the conching step and before the product is molded or otherwise manufactured for further use or consumption.
Still further, the inventors herein quite unexpectedly discovered that chocolate-based products can be produced having additional sweet flavor incorporated therein, and with an improved organoleptic property, by incorporating flavor infused granulated sugar into the chocolate-based fat system. That additional sweet flavor is generally derived by saturating the granular sugar with essential oils, or by centrifuging moisture away from highly sweetened juices. The details of such additional flavored sugars are discussed hereafter.
It will be noted hereafter that traditional chocolate equipment, that is chocolate which is used to mold chocolate into chocolate chips and the like, or to enrobe chocolate on other items, cannot be used with the chocolate-based fat system of the present invention, due to the inherent granularity of that chocolate system as a consequence of the granulated sugar component thereof. All of the piping, pumping, nozzle orifice sizes, and so on, in ordinary chocolate handling equipment, are sized and dimensioned so as to accommodate very fine particle sizes as are found in ordinary chocolate which is highly conched.
MILLER U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,735, issued Sep. 5, 1995, teaches a sweet cinnamon or other flavored fat-based anhydrous flake. The fat-based product is particularly intended as a flavoring additive for incorporation into baked goods and flour confections, or as a principal component in snack items which may be produced by being molded together with a baked flour-based sweet biscuit. The product consists of a bakery-compatible oil or fat system which is cooled and set at relatively low temperatures so as to be firm and stable at room temperatures.
MILLER U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,474 issued Jan. 7, 1997, teaches a method of preparation of chocolate crumb. The invention is particularly directed to the preparation of chocolate crumb for use in the manufacture of milk chocolate, and comes about by caramelizing a portion of the sugar content and hydrating it with a portion of the milk to be used in the process. The thus produced caramelized slurry batch is added to the remainder of the milk to be used in the formulation of the chocolate crumb, and the remaining water is driven off to produce a dried mix which is thereafter mixed with cocoa butter and anhydrous cocoa liquor. Additional anhydrous butter fat can be also added to the crumb, if necessary, to bring the fat content to a predetermined level.
A further patent issued to MILLER, U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,900 dated May 6, 1997, teaches another method for preparation of chocolate crumb and a precursor component therefor. In this invention, molasses or brown sugar is hydrated with milk, then dried, and processed by the addition of the balance of sugar, fats, cocoa butter, and cocoa liquor if used. That precursor component is then set aside for subsequent pasting and conching so as to result in the production of milk chocolate.
A purpose of the present invention is to provide a chocolate-based fat system having an improved organoleptic quality, whereby a new mouth sensation is created. It has essentially the same constituent analysis as ordinary chocolate, but displays a distinct crunchiness, a fat system which may be used as a snack item, but more particularly as a flavoring additive to baked goods and flour confections, and ice cream.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a chocolate-based fat system as discussed immediately above, where the product has an additional sweet flavor imparted thereto.
Thus, a purpose of the present invention is to provide chocolate-based fat systems as described above, which may be molded in a mold or spread onto a belt for manufacture into flake or chunk products, easily and economically.
To that end, the present invention provides an edible anhydrous chocolate-based fat system which may be molded in a mold or spread onto a belt for manufacture into flake or chunk products, and which comprises not more than 2% by weight of waterxe2x80x94so as to be thereby described as being anhydrous or essentially anhydrous. More particularly, the chocolate-based fat system comprises about 10% to about 15% by weight of chocolate liquor, from about 15% to about 25% by weight of cocoa butter, and from about 45% to about 60% by weight of sugar. However, a component of the sugar, being from about 5% to about 30% by weight, is granulated sugar. The remaining ingredients of the chocolate-based fat system in keeping with the present invention, apart from the granulated sugar component, have been conched.
In a particular variant of the present invention which is directed to the production of a white chocolate-based fat system, the chocolate liquor may be substituted by a further appropriate amount of cocoa butter or other compatible fats, as is well known to those skilled in the art of the production of chocolate.
In a particular alternative embodiment of the present invention, at least one additional food ingredient may be chosen from the group consisting of milk solids, milk fat, vanilla, salt, lecithin, and mixtures thereof. The at least one additional food ingredient is also conched together with the remaining ingredients, apart from the granulated sugar component.
A more general alternative embodiment of the present invention provides that the granulated sugar component has been saturated by an additional sweet flavor, so as to infuse the edible anhydrous chocolate-based fat system with that additional sweet flavor.
The granulated sugar component of the edible anhydrous chocolate-based fat system of the present invention may have been saturated by an essential oil chosen from the group of essential oils which consists of orange, lemon, almond, vanilla, cappuccino flavor, rose flavor, cherry, raspberry, strawberry, peach, mocha flavor, and combinations thereof.
The manner by which the granulated sugar component has been saturated by the chosen essential oil may, in keeping with the further provision of the present invention, have come as a consequence of the essential oil having been processed through a centrifugal pump together with the granulated sugar.
A still further embodiment of the present invention provides for the granulated sugar component to have been saturated by a flavor chosen from the group consisting of orange, lemon, avocado, passion fruit, mango, kiwi, cherry, raspberry, strawberry, peach, and combinations thereof. The granulated sugar and then the highly sweetened juice is centrifuged so as to remove the moisture therefrom and so as to derive a flavor infused granulated sugar.
Of course, the chocolate-based fat system of the present invention may be intended for incorporation into baked flour goods and flour confections, or ice cream, and as such it is produced in the form of flakes or chunks.
The present invention also provides a process for the preparation of an edible anhydrous chocolate-based fat system, and comprises the steps of:
(a) Supplying about 10% to about 15% by weight of chocolate liquor, and from about 15% to about 25% by weight of cocoa butter.
(b) Supplying a first quantity of sugar in the amount of about 15% to about 55%, by weight.
(c) Supplying a second quantity of sugar in the amount of about 5% to about 30% by weight.
At least the second quantity of the sugar is granulated sugar, and the total amount of the first quantity of the sugar together with the second quantity of the sugar is in the range from about 45% to about 60% by weight. The following further steps are also included:
(d) The chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and the first quantity of sugar are mixed together and conched to a predetermined degree of fineness. This step thereby produces a conched chocolate pre-mix.
(e) The second quantity of sugar is then added to the conched chocolate pre-mix, and they are mixed together at a temperature which is in the range of about 5xc2x0 C. to about 30xc2x0 C., so as to produce a cool anhydrous chocolate-based fat system having a specific, predetermined formulation with about 10% to about 15% by weight of chocolate liquor, about 15% to about 25% by weight of cocoa butter, and about 45% to about 60% by weight of sugar.
(f) The cool anhydrous chocolate-based fat system is then transferred to a discrete particle manufacturing means so as to produce discrete particles of the anhydrous chocolate-based fat system. The discrete particle manufacturing means is operated at a temperature of about 5xc2x0 C. to about 30xc2x0 C.
(g) Finally, the discrete particles of the anhydrous chocolate-based fat system are removed for further handling and/or storage and/or shipping.
If necessary and appropriate, the process described above can comprise a further step as follows:
(h) After step (d), the conched chocolate pre-mix is cooled, if necessary, to a temperature of about 5xc2x0 C. to about 30xc2x0 C.
Typically, step (e) is carried out in a dry blender.
The discrete particle manufacturing means may be a chocolate mold for producing molded particles or chunks of the edible anhydrous chocolate-based fat system. Alternatively, the discrete particle manufacturing means may comprise means for spreading the cool anhydrous chocolate-based fat system on a conveyor belt, and means for cutting or scoring the spread anhydrous chocolate-based fat system so as to form chunks or flakes thereof.
It will be understood, of course, that the particularities of the formulation of the edible anhydrous chocolate-based fat system which is manufactured in keeping with the process of the present invention, are the same as previously described. The formulation may comprise at least one additional food ingredient chosen from the group consisting of milk solids, milk fat, vanilla, salt, lecithin, and mixtures thereof; and when the formulation includes that additional food ingredient, all of the ingredients forming the chocolate-based fat system apart from the second quantity of sugar, are conched together.
As described above, the manner in which the second quantity of sugar has been saturated with the additional flavor, if an additional flavor is to be present, include saturating the sugar with an essential oil, such as by processing the chosen essential oil and the second quantity of sugar through a centrifugal pump together; or by producing a highly sweetened juice and then centrifuging the highly sweetened juice so as to remove the moisture therefrom.
Also, as described above, the process of the present invention is applicable to the production of a white edible anhydrous chocolate-based fat system by substituting the chocolate liquor in the formulation with an appropriate additional amount of cocoa butter, or cocoa butter together with a compatible fat.